NASA's outsourcing effort influences Navy

NASA's Consolidated Space Operations Contract is setting an outsourcing example for other agencies, including the Navy.

However, the Navy had more than just cost savings in mind in deciding to outsource the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet — a proposed consolidated network to serve all Navy and Marine Corps commands — to a single contractor. Because of the imminent retirement of many Navy and Marine Corps IT workers and the military's recruiting difficulties, "it looks like we're going to be out of this business whether we want to or not," said Joseph Cipriano, the Navy's program executive officer for IT.

The Navy also could not continue to own and operate its infrastructure and expect to keep up with the pace of the IT industry, Cipriano said. "This way, we have a chance we won't fall behind."